Chapter 5, Itinerant Merchants

The white monster rolled its eyes, bloodlight surging in its gaze, and with its long arms, it struck its chest several times, letting out a series of shrill cries. Xiahou nodded in understanding, a cunning smile appearing on his face: "Oh? Are you saying you can tame them? That would be excellent. Tomorrow, come here and catch a group of strong adult wolfhounds to take back. Every day, you will take them for a stroll in the forest, and eliminate all the beasts that might pose a threat to the village. Can you do that?"

Xiahou glanced at Bai, whose face was covered in blood, shook his head, and casually wiped away the remnants of heart and lung matter clinging to the corner of his mouth. He scolded, "Next time after you eat, go wash yourself clean by the stream. You scared several of the aunts last time."

The caravan! A caravan that travels south and north! A caravan from the grasslands beyond the mountains! In other words, their understanding of this world must far exceed that of Xiahou, or even the shaman who has spent a lifetime in the mountain valley without ever leaving the forest.

The white creature bared its teeth and let out a few roars, then pressed its head against Xiahou, rubbing it chaotically, smearing all the blood from its face onto Xiahou's fur coat, and only then did it break into a joyful grin and laugh heartily

The golden eagle took a sip of wine, wiped the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, and spread his hands, saying: "The entire clan is at war, and it is a fight to the death. Both tribes have thousands of strong warriors; when they clash, blood will flow like rivers. The territory of the Hou clan is far away, and no one can stop them, so it seems the fighting will continue. I, Old Golden Eagle, am merely a wandering merchant; if they go to war, selling them herbs is also a good thing."

On the road, those familiar with the almost identical appearances of Xiahou and Bai had grown accustomed to their strangely affectionate way of walking, and one by one, they greeted them warmly: "A Yi from the Xiu family, come to the Amu family for lunch, we have freshly made millet cakes." Or another would say they had just picked fruits, freshly gathered wild vegetables, and so on. The children who were the same age as Xiahou or two years older still wore that silly expression, swinging heavy wooden sticks in their hands, yet none dared to approach Xiahou and Bai.

It is essential to accelerate the cultivation of the Xuanwu True Interpretation and venture into the world beyond the mountains. Although Old Golden Eagle's words were not entirely clear, they had already left a deep imprint in Xiahou's mind. Strengthen one's own abilities and then explore the world outside the mountains. He thought of the exquisitely forged weapons; the world beyond the mountains must be incredibly fascinating

Once our Pixiu reaches adulthood, even the fiercest wild beasts will not be feared. A Yi from the Pixiu family is indeed taking advantage of this.

The tiger-headed Xiu looked at his own son, A Yi, who was so robust, and couldn't help but smile broadly. He mumbled all day about finding a good wife for Xiahou, and thus spent his days roaming the deep mountains with a group of clansmen, unaware of how many fierce beasts had perished at their hands. The luxurious and heavy animal skins hung on the walls of the Xiahou household like colorful paintings.

Xiahou was completely indifferent to this; he only wanted to enhance his own strength, continuously strengthening himself to facilitate his survival in this bizarre wilderness world. Only by surviving could he find a possible way home. Although he had never understood how there could be a planet whose star map was identical to that of Earth.

Bai let out a sharp and unpleasant laugh, mocking Xiahou for being scolded by Am. Upon hearing Bai's laughter, Am suddenly turned around and struck Bai's head with several blows. Bai grimaced and hugged his head, obediently lying down on the ground. His eyes darted around, filled with confusion; clearly, it was Xiahou who had led the way to watch the commotion, so why was he the one getting beaten? Moreover, it was evident that the blows he received were far more than those that fell on Xiahou.

Xiahou smiled at those Amus and waved his hand: "Next time. I have made soup with Amu, I will go back and tidy up this tooth wolf."

Feeling the chilling aura emanating from Xiahou, the group of wolf-like creatures that had just moments ago intended to feast on him began to tremble all over. According to the unspoken rules of the forest, they should have been allowed to leave. However, how could this bipedal being be aligned with such a fierce creature as the Pixiu? Did he intend to disrupt the rules of the forest and annihilate them completely?

Xiahou remained silent, seizing a steel sword approximately four feet wide and weighing around sixty pounds. He suddenly brandished it in the wind, creating a flurry of sword flowers. Utilizing the sword techniques learned in his previous life, he delivered a powerful strike aimed at Mount Hua, cleaving down fiercely. A massive stone, three feet high, was split apart by his sword, sending sparks flying. The men of the Chi Hu tribe and the clansmen brought by the golden eagle simultaneously cheered loudly, expressing their admiration.

Wu and Jin Diao looked at Xia Hou in surprise at the same time. Wu waved his bone staff and laughed, "Hehehe, has A Yi from the Xiu family not yet come of age, and already wants to venture outside the mountains?" He laughed joyfully, saying, "Indeed, for this forest, A Yi from the Xiu family, this forest is too small to accommodate you. You have the potential to become a high-level warrior; this forest cannot contain you.

Time is like the fallen leaves in the forest outside the village, scattering one by one with the wind

The shaman, the golden eagle, and several elderly men under the golden eagle sat around the fire pit, holding beast horn cups to drink. Upon seeing Xiahou and Bai enter, these elders paid no mind, casually shifting their posteriors to make a small space for Xiahou and Bai. The shaman pointed to a wine jar and said, "Ayi from the Xia family, pour us some wine." With this single statement, he acknowledged Xiahou's legitimate right to remain in this stone house and listen to their idle chatter, while also unceremoniously summoning Xiahou as a temporary servant.

He grabbed the robust adult wolf and knocked it unconscious with a single slap. Looking at Xiahou, who had already chosen the target for lunch, he let out a loud roar towards the sky. The pack of wolves, as if granted a great pardon, jumped up and ran away with their tails between their legs. These wolves, each about two meters long, ran at incredible speed and vanished in an instant.

Xiahou's Amu revealed a happy smile, discarding the half of the wooden stick that Xiahou had crushed in his hand, and said in a simple manner: "What the shaman said is true, but Xiu mentioned that Ayi is still just a child."

With a slurping sound, Bai swallowed again and broke into a wide, sinister grin.

A loud roar of a fierce beast suddenly echoed through the sky, and a white shadow streaked through the air with a whooshing sound. The white shadow dragged along several remnants, lightly leveraging against the trunks of trees several meters high, and in just a few leaps, it had reached above the pack of wolf-like creatures. "Awooo—" The white shadow actually hovered in the sky for a brief moment, beating its chest and emitting a roar that resonated for hundreds of miles.

The golden eagle was astonished and suddenly burst into hearty laughter: "What an impressive little fellow. Hehe, this Pixiu is indeed a menace; not only does it consume blood offerings, but such a large Pixiu, I cannot tame it. I won't buy it, I won't buy it." Shaking his head, he pulled out a steel sword, a palm's width wide, from the cart and tossed it to Xiahou: "A good little fellow, I gift you this sword. Anyone who can be with a Pixiu must surely be a hero."

It was as if selecting watermelons in a melon field. Xiahou was picking and choosing among a group of wild wolves, feeling them up in a haphazard manner. "This one is too fat; it will be greasy to eat. This one is too thin; it will get stuck in the teeth. This one is too old; its bones are tough and can only be used for soup. As for this one, hmm, it is neither too old nor too tender, with a suitable balance of fat and lean. Roasting it for lunch will be just right to eat."

His eyes darted around, and his crimson tongue continuously licked the blood at the corners of his mouth, as if contemplating that if he could tame a pack of wolfhounds, he would have fresh blood to feast on every day. As he thought about this, a stream of saliva flowed from his mouth, and his bloodshot eyes fixated intently on a few pigs lazily wandering within the village walls, revealing a cunning smile similar to that of Xiahou.

At the village entrance, a group of people could be seen slowly approaching from a distance. There seemed to be about three to five hundred of them, driving dozens of two-wheeled carts pulled by antelopes. An old man with a white beard shouted from afar: "Friends of the Chi Hu tribe, it is I, the golden eagle of the grasslands. Have you forgotten your old friend? It has been several years since we last met, and I see you have added quite a few little ones to your ranks, haven't you?"

Oh heavens, if only I could have some astronomical instruments. Unfortunately, I studied archaeology and classical literature in university, and I can't even produce a single piece of glass. Truly, a scholar is of no practical use at all

The old man with the golden eagle gazed at Xiahou a few more times, then lingered on Bai for a while longer before nodding in response: "There is nothing of great value, just a few carts of old wine, one cart of fine cloth, and the rest consists of weapons and pottery. We are old friends, and I will exchange them with you at half the price. This time, I am collecting herbs; I need all kinds of herbs."

A few elderly men were rambling on, and Xiahou found it quite uninteresting. They were merely chatting idly about how much profit could be gained from the sale of herbs by the Golden Eagle to the two tribes, as well as what kind of punishment the two shamans, who stood by and ignored the conflict, would face.

Holding the top of the wolf's head with one hand, he dragged it towards the village entrance. Xiahou looked at Bai, who was following closely beside him, and hesitated before asking: "Bai, do you think wolves can be tamed like giant boars? The wolf's nose is quite useful. If we could tame a pack of wolves, it would make hunting much easier for my father and the others"

The Chi Hu tribe members burst into hearty laughter, dropping their weapons and welcoming him out of the village. From a distance, Chi Hu Huo Hu opened his arms wide and laughed heartily: "It's you, you old bird! It's been six years since you last visited our tribe, hasn't it? We have missed your fine wine and exquisite cloth. You damned old bird!" He had already embraced the old man tightly.

Hunched over with two unusually long arms, Xiahou stood in the dense forest on the edge of the village, looking up to the sky with a deep sigh. "Had I known today would come, I should have studied industrial manufacturing, firearms design, biological sciences, and high-energy physics back then. Even learning steel and iron smelting would have been more useful than indulging in that trivial history."

Xiahou merely smiled at the two young men, ignoring their deliberately raised voices in provocation. Bai, however, shot them a fierce glare, his bloodshot eyes scrutinizing the two youths repeatedly, memorizing their appearances. Bai was contemplating whether he should pay a visit to the homes of these two young men that evening, intending to consume all the pigs raised by their families raw. Any leftovers would be captured and stored in a cave in the mountains outside the village, to be enjoyed as snacks over time. Bai was contemplating whether he should pay a visit to the homes of these two young men that evening, intending to consume all the pigs raised by their families raw. Any leftovers would be captured and stored in a cave in the mountains outside the village, to be enjoyed as snacks over time.

Bai, with a fierce expression on his face, descended from the sky, landing heavily on the back of an old wolf, crushing its spine into several pieces with a single blow. Dragging his long arms, Bai walked among nearly a hundred wolves, casually grabbing a young and strong one, tearing open its skull with a claw, and greedily sucking out its brain. The wolf let out a couple of screams, but its brain was consumed completely. Bai then slashed open the wolf's belly, devouring its heart and lungs in a chaotic manner, before contentedly walking over to Xiahou and obediently sitting down.

Xiahou caught the stick in Amu's hand with one hand, crushing it effortlessly. A yellow light flickered in his eyes as he pulled Bai up from the ground. He shot a fierce glare at the old man with the golden eagle and coldly said, "Sell? Why not sell? As long as you can handle him, of course I will sell."

An elderly man beside the golden eagle shook his head: "Oh, the cause of the war was that the shaman of the Nine Serpent Clan killed the child of the shaman of the Liu Tiger Clan. Although it was said to be an accidental injury, it conveniently provided their clan leader with an excuse to go to war. The clan leader and the elders wanted to wage war, and with the two shamans having developed enmity, reconciliation was naturally out of the question."

Xiahou's Amu rushed out, holding a wooden stick as thick as a fist, and angrily struck several blows at Xiahou. "Ayi, why don't you come inside? Do you think you have become a fierce tiger in the mountains, that you have grown up? What is that you are holding in your hand? An axe? Huh? What do you intend to do?"

The witch revealed a smug smile and slowly said: "Ayi from the Xiu family is a good child. When he was just born, he completely absorbed the soul power of a saber-toothed tiger. Other children cannot compare to him. Amu from the Xiu family, do not be angry; your Ayi is now not much weaker than the adult members of the clan. With Bai as his companion, what danger could he possibly face?"

He looked longingly: "You, the Chi Hu tribe, are considered large in this mountainous region. When all your tribesmen are combined, the Chi Hu tribe has several thousand strong warriors. However, in a faraway place, there are even more powerful tribes. I once visited a tribe called Shen Gong, which boasts tens of thousands of warriors"

The only useful information is that Xiahou discovered that it seems all the shamans from various tribes originate from the same organization or religious system, and there exists a distinct hierarchical relationship among them. However, these relationships are only clear to the shamans themselves, and even the well-informed merchants like the golden eagles cannot explain it.

Suddenly, at the lookout tower, which stood three zhang high at the entrance of the village, a clansman who remained in the village shouted loudly: "A large group of people is coming. Women and children, go inside the houses. Men, take up your weapons and prepare to fight." With the sound of three crisp bowstrings, the clansman on the lookout tower had already shot three long arrows, simultaneously calling out: "Are those approaching enemies or friends? If you are friends, state where you come from; if you are enemies, then prepare to meet your fate."

He reached out and touched Xiahou's head, while the old man with the golden eagle followed the shaman towards his stone house. Faintly, he heard the golden eagle say: "On the grassland, the Nine Serpents and the Willow Tigers tribes are engaged in a fierce battle, with significant casualties. It seems they will continue fighting. I plan to gather some herbs to trade with them; their injured warriors need herbs to save their lives. Especially the Blood-Replenishing Vine, please gather more for me."

Having grown up with Bai and thoroughly understanding his temperament, Xiahou rolled his eyes at the *illustrated* book and muttered: "Go ahead, eat. After eating the pigs raised by others, just wait for your father to skin you to repay them."

If we are lucky, we might also find a newly born Pixiu Hmph

Xiahou is already five years old, and he has practiced the Xuanwu True Formula to the second transformation, initially reaching the realm where his energy feels like condensed pearls and his body is as solid as iron. At this time, he stands over five feet tall, yet he is significantly sturdier than children of the same age. His earth-toned skin appears somewhat unusual, and the side effects of practicing the Xuanwu True Formula are gradually becoming evident: his shoulders are one and a half times wider than those of an average person, and his arms are developing towards the long, muscular form of a gorilla. His extremely well-developed muscles, when in motion, ripple impressively, showcasing strength and fitness that is truly remarkable. His earth-toned skin appears somewhat unusual, and the side effects of practicing the Xuanwu True Formula are gradually becoming evident: his shoulders are one and a half times wider than those of an average person, and his arms are developing towards the long, muscular form of a gorilla. His extremely well-developed muscles, when in motion, ripple impressively, showcasing strength and fitness that is truly remarkable

However, he must remain in the village for now. Faced with this wild and unknown world, the dangers are too numerous and the variables too great. Until he possesses sufficient strength, Xiahou will definitely not act rashly.

The bone staff in the witch's hand waved slightly, and thus a conclusion was drawn: "The other dolls cannot leave the village until they come of age; your family member Ayi is different, you should follow him. Golden Eagle, come to my house; you brought such a large caravan this time, you must have some good things, right"

Bai danced wildly, shouting loudly, with saliva splattering from the gaps between his bright white, closely packed teeth. It was evident that Bai was quite displeased with Xiahou's suspicions, feeling that his self-esteem had been undermined. After all, wasn't it just about taming a pack of wolfhounds? It was an exceedingly simple task. If it were a group of saber-toothed tigers, Bai would not dare to guarantee that he could prevail over them, but a pack of wolfhounds? Was that even considered a challenge?

Xiahou gave him a disdainful glance, slapped him on the head, and with a peculiar smile, both man and beast advanced towards the pack of tooth wolves

The golden eagle smiled as it twirled its whiskers, casually placing the beast horn cup on the ground. "The outside world is vast, Ah Yi of the Xiu family."

Wu slowly emerged from his stone house, weakly saying: "Is it the wind-sheltering golden eagle from the grassland? Long time no see, please come in, please come in." His voice was frail and weak, yet it floated far away, clearly heard by everyone in the village. This voice was equivalent to a signal to lift the alarm, and the mothers from each household came out with their children, laughing in unison.

The mothers from each household did not make a sound; they picked up their own children and rushed back into their homes. While a large group set out for hunting, the eighty men left behind in the village grabbed their weapons and rushed to the village entrance, crouching down behind the wall, simultaneously letting out loud roars. "Are you enemies or friends? Come out, come out, someone speak."

Wu Jian chuckled a few times: "The luck of the fox is quite good, as it just happened to encounter the newly born white one. Hey, are Jiu She and Liu Hu really going to war with each other? They are the two largest tribes on the grassland"

The tribe of tens of thousands of warriors? Xiahou Youran yearned for it, perhaps there, he could escape the fate of hunting for skins in the mountains and forests, finding a wife, and desperately having children. After having children, he would hunt for skins again, allowing the children to find wives and continue the cycle of the barbarian's fate.

The shaman shook his head and sighed: "Two great tribes, if this continues, I fear both tribes will decline. Do their shamans not intervene?"

The pack of wolf-like creatures that had just been plotting mischief trembled and collapsed to the ground, having recognized the howl of a Pixiu. In comparison to this tyrant of the forest, the wolf-like creatures were merely a small dish. They could only lie on the ground in submission, hoping that this Pixiu would follow the rules of the forest, eat its fill, and then allow the remaining members of their group to leave

It is said that there is a Pixiu that grew up alongside him. Who does not know that when a Pixiu is born, it regards the first person it sees as its parent. A Yi from Uncle Qiu's family is the one who has taken advantage of this.

Xiahou's eyes glimmered with a yellow light as he suddenly grabbed a steel axe used for chopping wood from a wooden post outside a cabin and rushed towards the village entrance. Bai was momentarily taken aback, glancing at the saber-toothed wolf on his shoulder that had already opened its eyes. It bit down on the wolf's neck, shaking its head violently a few times, nearly tearing the wolf's neck apart. With a beaming smile, it transformed into a streak of white light and followed Xiahou.

On the roadside, two boys around eleven or twelve years old were murmuring in discontent: "Isn't it just because Uncle Xiu has that Pixiu that he can catch prey every day?"

Xiahou handed the steel sword to Amu, instructing him to take the decapitated wolf back for disposal, while he himself, along with Bai, entered the shaman's stone house

As Jin Diao led his team into the village, he suddenly spotted Bai lying on the ground, as well as Xia Hou, who was insincerely persuading Amu not to punish Bai any further. Jin Diao's eyes lit up: "A Pixiu? And a tamed one at that? By the heavens, this is truly a remarkable find. Witch, are you selling this Pixiu?"

The shaman's expression darkened as he gently rubbed the bone staff in his hands, and he said ominously: "Well, it seems that the two shamans will also face punishment. However, I fear that by the time the great shaman's orders are issued, there may be no one left from the two tribes." The shaman's tone was somewhat somber: "It is universally accepted that rival tribes engage in mutual slaughter and the capture of slaves. However, if this leads to the decline of the two tribes, it would indeed violate the rules."

Naturally, Xiahou would not engage in such menial tasks. He sat cross-legged by the fire pit, holding a beast horn cup with an air of importance. Only Bai, with his strange eyes rolling and teeth bared, was mumbling something unintelligible, slowly wandering around the fire pit with a wine jar. Whenever he noticed someone’s beast horn cup was empty, he would refill it.

After a considerable amount of time, the noise outside had subsided, and the members of the caravan had been settled. Xiahou looked at several elderly men who had fallen into silence and asked, "Master Jindiao, you have traveled to many places and seen much of the world, so how vast is the outside world, really"

In the forest, a pack of wolf-like creatures with teeth resembling small knives growled softly, their eyes shimmering with a ghostly blue light, slowly surrounding the "muscular, tender little child." However, Xiahou was lost in his own thoughts, sighing towards the sky, nearly brought to tears, completely indifferent to the fierce wolves around him.

Bai's body suddenly jolted, and he immediately assumed a serious demeanor. He wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth with his long arm and, with great enthusiasm, grabbed the tooth wolf that Xiahou was dragging and hoisted it onto his shoulder. One of his arms draped over Xiahou's shoulder, and the two of them walked into the village, arms linked.

The golden eagle chuckled: "Interesting, interesting. It is said that the Pixiu possesses great spiritual power, and it seems to be true."

Thus, a group of aunts began to chatter in admiration, praising how capable A Yi from the Xiu family was, saying things like he could hunt at just five years old. Of course, there were also those who were skeptical; in the eyes of some aunts, the spoils of war from Xiahou were merely the result of Bai's efforts. Anyone who could have a five-year-old, nearly adult Pixiu as a companion in the mountains and forests would be able to walk with confidence.